Army Secretary Claims Soldier on Moon – Secret Operations or Simple Mistake?

When Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll casually mentioned talking to “an astronaut yesterday who’s on the moon who’s a soldier” during a live Fox News interview, he sparked a firestorm of speculation about whether the government has been secretly operating on the lunar surface all along.

A single statement from a high-ranking military official has sparked intense speculation across the internet and reignited old questions about what the government might be hiding in space. During a June 11, 2025 interview on Fox News, Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll made a comment that sent conspiracy theorists into overdrive when he casually mentioned speaking with a soldier who was stationed on the moon.

The Shocking Statement

While discussing the Army’s upcoming 250th anniversary parade and defending it against criticism, Driscoll told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade that Americans should see “all of the amazing things that the Army has done, whether it’s helping with floods in North Carolina or wildfires in California, or we talked to an astronaut yesterday who’s on the moon who’s a soldier.” The statement was made so matter-of-factly that Kilmeade offered no follow-up questions, and Driscoll immediately moved on to discuss other military activities.

The comment has received no clarification from Driscoll or the Army as of June 12, 2025. This silence has only added fuel to the fire for those who believe the government operates secret space programs far beyond what the public knows.

The Explanation That Makes Sense

Most experts believe Driscoll simply misspoke during the live television interview. Just two days before his Fox News appearance, on June 9, 2025, Driscoll had participated in a conversation with Army Colonel Anne McClain, who is currently aboard the International Space Station as part of NASA Expedition 73.

McClain is a NASA astronaut who was selected in June 2013 as one of eight members of the 21st NASA astronaut class. She is presently serving as Commander of SpaceX Crew-10 and has spent a combined total of more than 294 days in space throughout various missions. During their conversation, Driscoll told McClain that she had “absolutely taken the cake for having the coolest and most unique job of any soldier I’ve talked to so far.”

A spokesperson for the Army highlighted a post on Driscoll’s social media account featuring the same conversation between Driscoll and McClain, indicating that he slipped up when speaking to Kilmeade by saying “on the moon” instead of presumably “in space” aboard the International Space Station.

A History of Moon Landing Mysteries

The incident has brought renewed attention to long-standing questions about what really happened with America’s moon program. NASA’s website states that only 12 people have ever walked on the moon, while the Royal Museums Greenwich notes that trips to the moon concluded in 1972. Since then, no human has officially returned to the lunar surface, though NASA’s Artemis program aims to change that in the coming years.

Opinion polls taken in various locations between 1994 and 2009 have shown that between 6% and 20% of Americans, 25% of Britons, and 28% of Russians surveyed believe that the crewed landings were faked. These conspiracy theories gained new life in the internet age, where they continue to spread despite overwhelming evidence supporting the authenticity of the Apollo missions.

Secret Space Program Theories

For many years, conspiracy theories involving a “secret space program” have circulated online and in popular books and documentary films, alleging that NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense may have been involved in secret space exploration efforts that have officially remained off the books.

Some conspiracy theorists see the creation of the Space Force under President Trump as evidence that the government is hiding extraterrestrial technology and operations. Michael Salla, an author who promotes theories about secret U.S. space programs, has detailed what he describes as “whistleblower/insider claims” about secret space programs at the Pentagon, including a Navy operation in deep space with miles-long space carriers.

These theories often include claims about secret bases on the moon’s far side, recovered alien technology, and cover-ups that reach the highest levels of government. Some conspiracy theorists claim that not only have we been to the Moon, but someone has built a fully functional lunar base on the far side. However, images and videos from passes by the Apollo missions and Chinese spacecraft show no signs of secret Moon bases.

The Reality of Classified Space Operations

NASA indeed collaborates with government agencies like the Department of Defense on classified space programs. Its policies prohibit the release of classified information to the public or unauthorized individuals under past directives. The military does conduct secret operations in space, but these typically involve spy satellites and surveillance equipment rather than human crews on distant planets.

There is abundant evidence that the Pentagon has top-secret operations in space, such as spy satellites. The Air Force’s unmanned X-37B space plane has been up there two years at a time doing classified missions. However, no credible evidence supports the claims of large-scale secret operations in space, whether undertaken by NASA or any other U.S. government agencies, that align with popular conspiracy theories involving a “secret” space program.

Current Space Operations

Currently, there are only 13 humans known to be operating anywhere in space, all of which are aboard the International Space Station. This includes McClain, who is scheduled to return to Earth in November 2025 as part of her current mission.

NASA and Army websites have no mention of current lunar missions involving soldiers, and the Artemis program doesn’t indicate human presence on the moon yet. The Artemis program represents NASA’s official plan to return humans to the moon, but those missions are still years away from launching.

The Power of a Simple Mistake

What appears to be a simple slip of the tongue during a live television interview has demonstrated how quickly misinformation can spread in the digital age. Within hours of Driscoll’s comments, social media was flooded with speculation about secret moon bases and hidden government programs.

The incident also highlights how conspiracy theories about space operations continue to capture public imagination, even decades after the original moon landings. Since the late 1940s, when private pilot Kenneth Arnold first reported witnessing supersonic ‘flying discs,’ space-related conspiracy theories have been a persistent part of American culture.

Whether Driscoll’s comment was an innocent mistake or something more remains a matter of speculation. What is clear is that in an era where trust in government institutions remains fragile, even the smallest unusual statement can ignite widespread theories about what officials might be hiding from the public.

Source: Men’s Journal

NOTE: Some of this content may have been created with assistance from AI tools, but it has been reviewed, edited, narrated, produced, and approved by Darren Marlar, creator and host of Weird Darkness — who, despite popular conspiracy theories, is not an AI voice. (AI Policy)